The Last Great American Dynasty - A Folklore Novella

Mad Woman

Chapter Twelve

Mad Woman

It was Marjorie and Rebekah's last night in the Holiday House, Marjorie had to return to university in the city the next day and Rebekah would go back to St. Louis for the fall and winter. The summer had flown by and the final days of August blended into each other. There had been a heat wave, and so the two ladies spent a lot of time by the pool. Rebekah continued to have a hard time falling asleep at night. Her insomnia had been bad since before William died, so she couldn't blame him for this. She had never really slept properly since the death of Este. She'd go for walks on the beach to combat it. She would trudge through the thick sand, her feet sinking in, enjoying the movement in the darkness.

Rebekah had a problem with her neighbor's dog who lived in the next beachfront property over. This dog was the most yappy, unfriendly, little terrier Rebekah had ever seen. He would stand at the fence of the hill to the beach and incessantly bark at Rebekah every time she walked by. Rebekah was not a dog person. She didn't care much for them at all. She had no idea what type it was. It was a medium-sized dog, had white fluffy fur, and an annoying-looking scraggly tail with some ugly fur on the very end.

She had no idea why her neighbors left the dog outside all night, it seemed cruel to her. The dog seemed more afraid, rather than protective of the property. Then, while walking in the safety of the darkness of the beach, Rebekah got a small and mischievous idea.

"Marjorie! Wake up! I did something bad!" Rebekah was in a panic. She had taken the neighbour's dog home. She decided to teach the neighbour a lesson and steal him. Not forever, just enough time to make the neighbour feel a sense of doom and loss at the thought of losing his precious little dog forever.

Marjorie sat up in bed. Rebekah had become a little more erratic the last few weeks, but Marjorie found all of it kind of exciting.

"What should we do with it!?" Rebekah yelled.

"What do you mean we?" Marjorie said to Rebekah.

Marjorie had a big conscience, and it didn't seem right to her to steal someone's dog, even if it was just for a little bit of time.

"I'm thinking we have to do something hilarious! We have to teach those rich bastards a lesson!" Rebekah laughed.

Rebekah had more money than her neighbors, but Rebekah seemed oblivious to that as she had never felt she was in the same class as them. She saw herself as a transplant. "It's different when you don't grow up with it," she had whispered to Marjorie once.

"Let's dye his fur!" Rebekah snapped her fingers with the lightbulb going off in her mind.

Rebekah seemed possessed with mischief. She was excited at the thought of bringing justice back to the neighborhood.

"They 'll never be able to prove who did it. We will drop him back off with his new dye job on his fur coat! Yes!" Rebekah cackled.

Marjorie continued to lay in her bed. It was 3 am. Rebekah placed the little white dog on Marjorie's bed and abruptly left the room going downstairs to look for something.

The little white dog came up and started licking Marjorie's face profusely. Marjorie didn't hate dogs like Rebekah did, and found the sudden presence and company of a different species very welcoming. She laughed and ran her fingers through the dog's fur. It was clear this dog was well-loved. Perfectly groomed, with polished nails and an excellent little figure. He might have been loud and yappy, but he was very cute.